"Twas the Week Before Winter Break . . .

. . . and all through the house, everyone was stirring with angst and excitment, waiting for snow days, finals, Winter Ball, and the coming of that precious commodity, DOWN TIME.

On Monday, we had the aforementioned bigger, badder snowstorm.


On Tuesday, the sun rose past the ridge on the far south-of-east horizon. The roads had finally been plowed, but the wind kept drifting them over. It was a full-fledged snow day for the Boychick and me.

I planned on spending the day doing some housework in the morning, and then, in the afternoon, editing the introduction to a paper on cortical thickness for Dr. C., my Behavioral Neuropsychology advisor.

I got the dishes washed. I got the counters thoroughly wiped. I got the floor vacuumed and mopped.
But before I went on to do the front hall, the dogs began barking and the doorbell rang. Two Bernalillo County sheriff's Broncos were parked in my driveway. Two peace officers were at the door.

Did I own a blue Ford Focus parked down the hill?

I allowed that I did and told them that I would get it moved as soon as possible, that I was unable to get it up the hill on Monday in the snowstorm. "That's not the problem Ma'am. Somebody broke out the back window."

The deputies drove me down the hill and one of them got the car out of the snowplow-made snowbank. We are still unsure if the window was broken by a vandal or by the snowplow. But everything that I left in the car was still there, including a rather expensive gift for the Boychick in the trunk. I drove the car to the Ford dealership in Edgewood, and spent an hour waiting for them to give me a ride home. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon phoning up the insurance company and determining how to deal with having only one car for a while.



On Wednesday, the roads were clear, and although the high country was covered in white, Albuquerque was sans snow.
The Engineering Geek took his 9/80 day off that he had missed the previous Friday to deal with fixing the car window and getting a claim from the county to pay for it. The police report had determined that the snowplow broke it.

That afternoon, I came home from work, drove the EG into Edgewood to pick up the car and back to the house. We walked the dogs, fed them, and the cats, picked up the Boychick at school, and drove to Albuquerque's West Side. We had given ourselves tickets to a theater simulcast of a live stage performance that was taking place on the east coast. It was called The Christmas Sweater.
Yes, I know! What kind of Jew goes to a Christmas performance?
Although the story was set at Christmas, the themes of forgiveness, second chances, facing life's storms, and finding oneself worthy of happiness are universal.
We enjoyed the performance quite a lot, and the themes have been the occasion for several conversations since, because . . .

Thursday and Friday brought the Boychick's FINALS.
These are the first comprehensive exams he has done, and he was somewhat overwhelmed. He had a bad day on Thursday, because the Humanities final, some of which was take-home, required a great deal of writing. In addition, he had not done the last ten of fifty notecards for his Inquiry Project. So he had to stay after that day to do them.
When I went to get him, I went in to talk to his special education teacher, and we talked about second-chances and getting up to try again.
After a dentist appointment, we went to Men's Wearhouse to buy a suit for . . .

. . . Friday, the night of the EMHS Winter Ball.
The Boychick had a date with a girl. I remembered at the last minute that the boy brings the girl flowers, so on Friday morning I ordered a bouttoniere as well as a wrist corsage for the pretty and bubbly L., a fun date for Winter Ball. I thought it was smart of me to order both from a florist near Men's Wearhouse, since I had to pick up the suit (they did a rush job on the alterations) but since both were near two malls, and it was the Friday before Christmas . . . It took me more than an hour.

But it was worth it! Isn't the Boychick dapper in his new suit? His first, best girl, his dog Lily, just had to get in the picture. Maybe she's jealous of the vivacious L., her rival?

After driving the Boychick to get his date, and bring them to the dance, the Engineering Geek and I had a quiet Shabbat dinner by candlelight. The Boychick reported later that he had a great time at the dance. He recounted the songs the DJ played, none better than "School's Out!" I am not sure he believed me when I told him that that song had been popular when I was in high school.

At any rate, the song is true. School's out for Winter Break.
And so is the UNM.
Sandia is set to go on Winter Shutdown on the 23rd.
We are all more than ready for downtime, board games, Hannukah and hot chocolate.

This morning the EG and I woke with the sunrise (rather than before it) and we lazed about in bed. We had brunch instead of breakfast. I made cinnamon rolls to go with the World Famous Engineering Geek's Good Heat Transfer Cheese and Green Chile Omelet.

We read the paper. The EG and the Boychick listened to the Lady Lobo game on the radio.
I read some blogs.
It's popcorn and board games after the EG and I take a hot bath in our Wonderful Tub.
It's Winter Break.

Ahhhhhh!